Anothe day, another accolade for Iowa star guard Bennett Stirtz.
After a dynamic and improbable run to the Elite Eight, the Hawkeyes were thrust into the spotlight in Ben McCollum's first year at the helm.
Iowa shockingly knocked off one-seed Florida in the Round of 32 before upsetting rival Nebraska in the Sweet 16.
For a brief moment, the Hawkeyes were on top of the college basketball world, and the player at the center of it all is now headed to Chicago for the 2026 NBA Draft Combine.
Bennett Stirtz has one more showcase before he achieves his NBA dreams
It was very obvious throughout the season that Stirtz was Iowa's best player, and he lived up to that billing and more.
He had an amazing seven-game stretch from February to early March when Iowa won six straight, and he put up 20-plus points in all of them.
Stirtz finished the season averaging 19.8 points on 47.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc, adding 2.6 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game. Now he has the opportunity to improve his draft stock at the NBA Combine.
The NBA announced today that 73 players have been invited to the AWS NBA Draft Combine 2026, which will take place May 10-17 at Wintrust Arena and the Marriott Marquis in Chicago.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 1, 2026
Additionally, a select number of standout players from the AWS NBA G League Draft Combine 2026,… pic.twitter.com/9w2ncpacCe
Stirtz is one of 73 invitees to the 2026 NBA Draft Combine that takes place from May 10-17 in Chicago.
Stirtz rose through Division II with Ben McCollum before finally getting his opportunity at the Division I level. He made the most of his lone season in Iowa City and now has the chance to prove himself among some of the most elite players in college basketball.
ESPN's latest mock draft has the former Hawkeye superstar going No. 21 overall to Detroit after the Pistons acquired the pick from Minnesota.
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